North Carolina contact hour credits - post

Looking for contact hour credits that count for North Carolina early care professionals? H&H Child Care Training Center (ChildCareEd) offers approved trainings, such as the 45 Hour Child Growth and Development Buy Now $399.00 and the CDA Preschool Credential Buy Now $400.00$300.00, and multi-course pathways to help meet annual training requirements.

Two commonly used ChildCareEd offerings for North Carolina providers are the 45 Hour Child Growth and Development Buy Now $399.00 and the CDA Preschool Credential Buy Now $400.00$300.00. Both are delivered in formats that support workplace schedules and include certificates suitable for submission to your licensing authority.

What are contact hour credits (CHCs) and how do they relate to credit hours?

Contact hour credits (CHCs) are the state-recognized units used by many licensing agencies, including North Carolina's Division of Child Development & Early Education, to document completion of training. A contact hour records the actual instructional time spent in approved training. For context on how instructional time maps to academic credit concepts, see institutional definitions of a credit hour (for example, UNC Wilmington's published definition of credit-hour equivalencies).

ChildCareEd is authorized to issue CHCs for courses approved for North Carolina providers; see ChildCareEd's list of Approved Contact Hours: NC for details on approvals and currently listed courses.

How can I use ChildCareEd courses to meet North Carolina annual training requirements?

To apply ChildCareEd CHCs toward North Carolina annual training, follow these steps:

1. Confirm your role- and program-specific training requirement with your employer and the NC Division of Child Development & Early Education (for example, annual hours required for assistant staff, lead teachers, or directors may differ).
2. Choose ChildCareEd courses that are listed on the Approved Contact Hours: NC page and note each course’s approval identifier where provided.
3. Complete the course and download or request the ChildCareEd training certificate that shows course title, hours, delivery format, and date of completion.
4. Save your certificate and, if your program requires it, submit it to your NC licensing specialist or to your employer’s training record system.

Because approval and acceptance can depend on license type, age group served, and program setting, always verify acceptance with your licensing specialist before assuming a course satisfies a specific regulatory requirement.

Which ChildCareEd courses are commonly used by North Carolina providers?

ChildCareEd lists dozens of courses approved for use in North Carolina. Examples that CANNOT substitute for formal licensure but can support professional development include:

• 45 Hour Child Growth and Development Buy Now $399.00 — commonly used for foundational professional development.
• CDA Preschool Credential Buy Now $400.00$300.00 (120 hours) — fulfills the training portion of a CDA pathway and includes portfolio supports.
• CDA Infant/Toddler Credential Buy Now $400.00$300.00 — training suited to educators working with children birth to 36 months.

ChildCareEd's Approved Contact Hours: NC post notes that the provider currently has many (80+) approved courses available for NC providers; review that page for the most current, state-approved list and course approval numbers.

How do I verify that a course will count for my specific license, credential, or role?

Verification best practices:

1. Check the ChildCareEd course page for approval notes and the Approved Contact Hours: NC listing for explicit NC approval.
2. Contact your NC Division of Child Development & Early Education licensing specialist or your registry to confirm whether the course is accepted for your role and program type before enrolling.
3. If you are pursuing a credential (for example, the CDA), confirm additional non-training requirements (hours of experience, portfolio, exam) with the credentialing body; ChildCareEd course pages explain which component the course fulfills but do not replace credentialing steps.

For guidance on certificate use and how instructional time is counted in formal education settings, see institutional definitions of a credit hour such as the UNC Wilmington Registrar guidance on credit hours (Common Definitions).

Do online or blended ChildCareEd courses count for North Carolina contact hours?

Many ChildCareEd courses delivered online, asynchronously, or via blended formats are listed on the Approved Contact Hours: NC page. North Carolina recognizes contact hour credits from courses that are explicitly approved for NC; when a course is approved its entry on the Approved Contact Hours page typically shows an approval identifier or an approval note. Acceptance of online delivery depends on that approval status and on the license type and program setting. Always download and keep the ChildCareEd certificate that displays course title, clock hours, delivery format, and date of completion so you can submit unambiguous documentation to your employer, registry, or licensing specialist.

For institutions or licensing contexts that ask how instructional time compares to academic credit, refer to institutional definitions such as UNC Wilmington’s guidance on credit-hour equivalencies (Common Definitions). Before enrolling, confirm with your NC licensing specialist or employer whether self-paced or asynchronous training is accepted for your specific role, age group served, and license type. When in doubt, contact the North Carolina Division of Child Development & Early Education for an official determination.

Where can I find local in-person or employer-sponsored training in North Carolina?

If you prefer in-person or employer-sponsored training, check with your employer, your county licensing specialist, or your local Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) agency about scheduled classes in your region. Employers and centers frequently coordinate group enrollment or sponsor staff training; ChildCareEd also supports group admin accounts that can simplify purchase and recordkeeping — see Maximizing Efficiency with ChildCareEd's Group Admin Account for implementation tips. When you locate a local training, verify that it is listed on the Approved Contact Hours: NC page or that your licensing specialist will accept it for your license type before relying on it to meet a regulatory requirement.

Keep copies of all certificates and note approval identifiers when they are provided. If a training you want to use does not appear on the Approved Contact Hours page, ask your licensing specialist whether an exception, equivalency, or local acceptance applies rather than assuming acceptance.

Where can I find related ChildCareEd articles and resources for North Carolina providers?

Helpful ChildCareEd articles (linked) that North Carolina providers frequently use:

• Daycare Training Hours in North Carolina: How Many Do You Need?
• How to Get an ECE Certificate in North Carolina
• Online Early Childcare Courses in North Carolina
• How to Become a Child Care Director in North Carolina
• Free Online Early Childhood Education Training in North Carolina: Earn a Certificate
• CDA Scholarships in North Carolina: How Child Care Providers Can Find Funding

Summary: What should North Carolina providers do next?

Use ChildCareEd's Approved Contact Hours: NC page to identify approved courses, confirm acceptance with your licensing specialist, complete the course(s), and keep the ChildCareEd certificate for your training records. If you are pursuing a credential such as the CDA, use ChildCareEd credential pages to understand the training component and confirm other credential steps with the credentialing body. When in doubt, consult your employer and the NC Division of Child Development & Early Education for official acceptance decisions.